If you are in need of hoses for industrial applications, one of the best options for many industries is PVC hosing. PVC offers a huge range of benefits, and with the use of additives and compounds, the characteristics of the material can be adjusted based on their intended application. Industrial PVC hose can be made in a variety of sizes and configurations and can be made to work with existing industrial metal hose.
What is PVC?
Polyvinyl chloride is a type of general purpose plastic that has a wide range of applications. While there may appear to be little difference between plastics that have carbon and hydrogen atoms and those that also have chlorine atoms, the addition of chlorine atoms results in huge differences in the way that the types of plastic perform. Thanks to its chemical composition, there are a number of benefits to using PVC hosing, including its fire retarding properties, electrical insulation, versatility of use and durability.
Fire Resistance
As a result of the aforementioned chlorine content, the ignition temperature of PVC is as high as 455 degrees Celsius, even without additional retardants. Additionally, even if heat is sufficient to ignite PVC, it produces far less heat when burning than other types of plastic, helping to reduce the risk of fire spreading. While there are other materials that have slightly better electrical insulation, the fact that PVC is also highly inflammable makes it the material of choice for many applications that involve electrical cables, wire coverings and tubing for power and telecommunications cables.
Easy Modification of Material Characteristics
Another reason that PVC is great for industrial hose applications is that it is versatile. It is amorphous, so it mixes well with other substances. As a result, additives, modifiers and other agents can increase its impact resistance, flexibility, and elasticity. Compounds can also hinder microbial growth and make it even more fire retardant. PVC is also very responsive to coloring, printing and adhesion, and it does not require pre-treatment. The ability to modify the properties of PVC to increase its heat or impact resistance allows the material to be used in everything from hot water pipes to electrical connectors.
Chemical Resistance
As with other general purpose plastics, PVC’s main chain is composed of single bonds of carbon atoms, which makes it very resistant to chemicals. In fact, it is resistant to acid, alkali and nearly all inorganic chemicals; organic solvents also have difficulty dissolving PVC. It is frequently used in chemical storage tanks, sewage pipes and for plant piping.
Strength, Stability and Durability of PVC Hosing
PVC is frequently used in municipal water and sewage pipes due to its strength, and when plasticizers are added, the material also has a rubber-like elasticity. Compared to other plastics, PVC comes out on top in terms of tensile, bending, compressive and fatigue strength; impact strength is the only exception, although it does place near the top.
PVC is also very stable, and it exhibits very little creep, which is when products deform over time due to constant pressure. This is because PVC has a very stable chemical structure with limited molecular motion, and it is much more stable than other plastics. In fact, according to a European study, it is believed that PVC pipes made today can be expected to last 100 years or longer.
Another source of PVC hose durability is the material’s resistance to oxidation by atmospheric oxygen. The Japan PVC Pipe & Fittings Association took measurements of underground PVC pipes made 35 years ago and discovered that they exhibited no deterioration and had the same strength as new pipes. Similar results, showing little to no deterioration, were found when PVC products were recovered from vehicles that had been in use for well over a decade.